Medicine Packaging Apparatus

ABSTRACT

Provided is a medicine packaging apparatus including: a packaging material unwinding unit configured to unwind a packaging material; a packaging material transfer unit configured to transfer the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit; a tension applying unit configured to apply tension to the packaging material; and a conveyance control unit configured to control at least the packaging material unwinding unit. The conveyance control unit controls the packaging material transfer unit to intermittently transfer the packaging material, and controls at least the packaging material unwinding unit, so that when the packaging material is being intermittently transferred, an amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit is made smaller than an amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-133720, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a medicine packaging apparatus configured to package medicine.

BACKGROUND

As one of medicine packaging media, blister packages may be used. Patent Literature 1 discloses producing a blister package using a tray having a plurality of housing recesses. In each of the housing recesses of the tray, medicine is distributed according to the prescription. Onto the open face of the tray, a cover sheet is attached. In such a technique as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, manual operations such as installing the tray and attaching the cover sheet are needed.

Then, it is conceivable to use an elongated sheet-like packaging material instead of the tray. In this case, the medicine packaging apparatus includes a packaging material conveying unit configured to convey the elongated sheet-like packaging material and packages the medicine with the packaging material that is being conveyed by the packaging material conveying unit. In such a medicine packaging apparatus, it is possible to reduce the aforementioned manual operations and automate operations for packaging the medicine.

In the aforementioned medicine packaging apparatus, the tension applied to the packaging material needs to be maintained constant, when conveying the packaging material. If the tension applied to the packaging material cannot be maintained constant, the packaging material fails to be smoothly conveyed, and wrinkles or the like occur in the packaging material.

However, for example, the configuration in which a roll formed by winding the elongated sheet-like packaging material is rotatably held, the packaging material is drawn from the roll in the rotatable state, and a roller is abutted against the drawn packaging material while being biased thereto with a constant spring force has a problem in that the tension varies depending on the amount of the packaging material wound around the roll.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: WO 2012/070643

SUMMARY Technical Problem

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a medicine packaging apparatus capable of maintaining the tension applied to the packaging material at a constant level.

Solution to Problem

A medicine packaging apparatus according to an example of the configuration of the present invention includes: a packaging material conveying unit configured to convey an elongated sheet-like packaging material, the medicine packaging apparatus being configured to package medicine with the packaging material that is being conveyed by the packaging material conveying unit, in which the packaging material conveying unit includes: a packaging material unwinding unit configured to unwind the packaging material; a packaging material transfer unit configured to transfer the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit to a downstream side of a conveyance direction; a tension applying unit located on an upstream side of the packaging material transfer unit in the conveyance direction of the packaging material and configured to apply tension to the packaging material; and a conveyance control unit configured to control at least the packaging material unwinding unit, and the conveyance control unit controls the packaging material transfer unit to intermittently transfer the packaging material, and controls at least the packaging material unwinding unit, so that when the packaging material is being intermittently transferred by the packaging material transfer unit, an amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit is made smaller than an amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit by limiting the unwinding of the packaging material by the packaging material unwinding unit, and when the intermittent transfer of the packaging material by the packaging material transfer unit is stopped, the unwinding is performed in an amount of a difference between the amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit and the amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit.

Further, the configuration can be such that the tension applying unit includes a pressing member provided movably between a limit position on a loose side and a limit position on a tension side and configured to press the packaging material, and the conveyance control unit controls the packaging material unwinding unit so that the pressing member moves corresponding to the amount of the difference within a range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends.

Further, the configuration can further include an origin detector configured to detect whether or not the pressing member is located at an original position, in which the original position is set within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends, and the conveyance control unit controls the unwinding of the packaging material by the packaging material unwinding unit, based on the detection results by the origin detector.

Further, the configuration can be such that the pressing member is vertically movable and presses the packaging material from above by its self-weight.

Further, the configuration can be such that the packaging material unwinding unit includes a device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging material.

Further, the configuration can be such that the packaging material unwinding unit includes: a holding shaft provided rotatably about a predetermined axis and configured to hold a rolled body formed by winding the packaging material, with the predetermined axis and an axis of the rolled body being in coincidence with each other; and a rotary drive unit configured to drive the holding shaft to rotate about the predetermined axis, as the device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging material.

Further, the configuration can be such that the rotary drive unit is capable of limiting the rotation of the holding shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a medicine packaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view showing a packaging sheet holder (tension applying unit) in the medicine packaging apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view showing the packaging sheet holder (tension applying unit) in the medicine packaging apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the packaging sheet holder (tension applying unit) in the medicine packaging apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the packaging sheet holder in the medicine packaging apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of operations for conveying a packaging sheet in the medicine packaging apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the initial operation in the flow in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the unwinding operation in the flow in FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment. A medicine packaging apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus configured to form medicine packages P by automatically packaging medicine M using a packaging sheet 3 and a cover sheet 4 that are elongated sheet-like packaging materials conveyed by a packaging material conveying unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the medicine packaging apparatus 1 includes a packaging sheet holder 11, a packaging sheet feeder 12, a recess former 13, a medicine feeder 14, a medicine introduction unit 15, a cover sheet holder 16, a cover sheet feeder 17, a cover sheet bonding unit 18, a cutter 19, and a printer 20. The respective parts are controlled by a control unit, which is not shown.

The packaging material conveying unit 10 includes a packaging material unwinding unit (the packaging sheet holder 11 and the cover sheet holder 16 in this embodiment) configured to unwind the packaging materials 3 and 4, a packaging material transfer unit (the packaging sheet feeder 12 and the cover sheet feeder 17 in this embodiment) configured to transfer the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit to the downstream side of the conveyance direction, tension applying units 11X and 16X located on the upstream side of the packaging material transfer unit in the conveyance direction of the packaging materials 3 and 4 and configured to apply tension to the packaging materials 3 and 4, and a conveyance control unit 10X configured to control at least the packaging material unwinding unit, while controlling the packaging material transfer unit so as to intermittently transfer the packaging materials 3 and 4, so that the tension of the packaging materials 3 and 4 is maintained constant for each intermittent transfer. The conveyance control unit 10X is configured as a part of the control unit in this embodiment.

The packaging sheet holder 11 constitutes a part of the packaging material unwinding unit and holds the packaging sheet 3 that is flat. The packaging sheet 3 is a resin sheet. As the packaging sheet 3 of this embodiment, a thermoplastic resin sheet is used, for example. The packaging sheet 3 has an elongated strip shape and is held in the state of being wound into a rolled body 3 a by the packaging sheet holder 11 so as to be unwound. The width dimension of the packaging sheet 3 is a dimension that allows one recess 31 to be formed therein. Further, the packaging sheet 3 of this embodiment is transparent. Therefore, it is easy to visually recognize from the outside the medicine M contained in the recess 31 after being packaged. In this embodiment, the transparent packaging sheet 3 is used, but the packaging sheet 3 is not necessarily transparent. The packaging sheet 3, for example, may be semi-transparent or may be opaque.

Since the flat packaging sheet 3 can be used in this embodiment, the packaging sheet 3 wound into a roll can be configured to be held by the packaging sheet holder 11. That is, the medicine packaging apparatus 1 can hold the packaging sheet 3 in the packaging sheet holder 11, in an amount that allows a large number of medicine packages P to be formed at a time. Therefore, there is no need to set trays having housing recesses one by one by hand as in conventional techniques. The operator of the medicine packaging apparatus is thus relieved of the troublesome work. The word “flat” includes an embodiment in which projections and recesses or patterns are formed without hindering the formation of the recess 31 by the recess former 13, which will be described below.

The packaging sheet feeder 12 constitutes a part of the packaging material transfer unit and feeds the packaging sheet 3 from the packaging sheet holder 11 in the longitudinal direction. The packaging sheet 3 is fed by the packaging sheet feeder 12 intermittently transferring the packaging sheet 3 to the downstream side (the specific configuration is not shown). In this embodiment, a roller 121 shown in FIG. 1 is not driven and only supports the packaging sheet 3. The tension applying unit 11X is provided between the packaging sheet holder 11 and the packaging sheet feeder 12 for adjusting the tension of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12. The detailed configuration of the tension applying unit 11X will be described below. The feeding of the packaging sheet 3 is stopped when recesses 31 are formed in the packaging sheet 3 using a forming mold 133, which will be described below. Therefore, the feeding is intermittently performed so that the transfer operation of transferring the packaging sheet 3 and the stop operation of stopping the feeding of the packaging sheet 3 are alternately carried out. The packaging sheet feeder 12 enables easy packaging by allowing the medicine M to be introduced after the packaging sheet 3 that has been automatically fed is molded. As a device for feeding the packaging sheet 3, a device configured to sandwich and draw the packaging sheet 3, for example, can be employed, and various devices such as arms and rubber plates can be employed. The packaging sheet 3 can also be fed by a driven roller.

The recess former 13 forms the plurality of recesses 31 in the packaging sheet 3 fed by the packaging sheet feeder 12 at specific intervals in the longitudinal direction. The recess former 13 includes a hot plate 131, a receiving part 132, and the forming mold 133.

The hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 are opposed to each other with the conveyed packaging sheet 3 being interposed therebetween, and their opposed surfaces are flat. The hot plate 131 is located below the packaging sheet 3, and the receiving part 132 is located thereabove. The hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 may be inversely arranged with respect to the packaging sheet 3. A heater is incorporated in the hot plate 131. The receiving part 132 is made of resin and is made of rubber in this embodiment. The receiving part 132 may serve as another hot plate in which a heater is incorporated. The hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 are configured to be capable of moving close to and away from the packaging sheet 3 by being driven by an electric motor. The driving source to drive the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 is not limited to the electric motor. The driving source of the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 may be any device that can cause the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 to move close to and away from the packaging sheet 3. The driving source of the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 may be, for example, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. The hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 move close to the packaging sheet 3 so as to sandwich the packaging sheet 3, while the hot plate 131 is heated by energizing the heater, thereby softening the packaging sheet 3.

The hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 are formed to have a dimension of two packages (equivalent to two recesses 31) in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, the packaging sheet 3 intermittently moves so that the recess 31 is formed for each package (equivalent to one recess 31) by the forming mold 133. With such intermittent movement, the packaging sheet 3 is fed to the forming mold 133 after being heated twice. Therefore, the first heating serves as so-called “preheating”, and the second heating serves as so-called “main heating”, thereby sufficiently softening the packaging sheet 3 for forming the recess 31. The hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 are not necessarily formed to have the dimension of two packages (equivalent to two recesses 31) in the longitudinal direction. If the packaging sheet 3 is sufficiently softened by heating once, the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 may be formed to have a dimension of one package (equivalent to one recess 31) in the longitudinal direction. If the packaging sheet 3 is not sufficiently softened by heating twice, the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 may be formed to have a dimension of three packages (equivalent to three recesses 31) or more in the longitudinal direction.

The forming mold 133 is located on the downstream side of the hot plate 131 and the receiving part 132 in the sheet conveying direction. The forming mold 133 includes a female mold 133 a located below the conveyed packaging sheet 3, and a male mold 133 b and a holding plate 133 c located thereabove. The female mold 133 a and the male mold 133 b are formed to have a shape corresponding to the recess 31 so as to be capable of forming the recess 31 having desired diameter and dimension. The recess 31 formed in this embodiment has a circular cross-sectional shape with a diameter dimension decreasing as it advances downward, as shown in the figure. A plurality of suction holes (not shown) are formed on the recessed molding surface of the female mold 133 a.

The female mold 133 a, the male mold 133 b, and the holding plate 133 c are configured to be capable of moving close to and away from the packaging sheet 3 by being driven by an electric motor. The driving source to drive the female mold 133 a, the male mold 133 b, and the holding plate 133 c is not limited to the electric motor. The driving source of the female mold 133 a, the male mold 133 b, and the holding plate 133 c may be any device that can cause the female mold 133 a, the male mold 133 b, and the holding plate 133 c to move close to and away from the packaging sheet 3. The driving source of the female mold 133 a, the male mold 133 b, and the holding plate 133 c may be, for example, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

The male mold 133 b and the holding plate 133 c move close to the female mold 133 a so as to hold the packaging sheet 3 softened by the hot plate 131 therebetween. While the packaging sheet 3 is interposed between the female mold 133 a and the holding plate 133 c, air is suctioned through the plurality of suction holes, thereby forming the recess 31 recessed downward in the packaging sheet 3. In such a state, the male mold 133 b is further fitted into the female mold 133 a, thereby reliably forming the recess 31 having a desired shape. The male mold 133 b is not necessarily provided. If the recess 31 having a desired shape can be formed by suctioning air through the plurality of suction holes of the female mold 133 a, the male mold 133 b may be omitted.

The forming mold 133 of this embodiment is provided as one set, so that one recess 31 is formed at a time (with one cycle of vertical movement of the female mold 133 a and the male mold 133 b), but a plurality of recesses 31 can be formed at a time by arranging plural sets of forming molds 133 in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the packaging sheet 3 or the width direction of the packaging sheet 3 (the front-back direction in FIG. 1).

The medicine feeder 14 temporarily stores the medicine M and feeds the medicine M to the medicine introduction unit 15 according to the prescription data (for example, for each dose). The medicine feeder 14 has a storage 141 configured to temporarily store the medicine M, and can selectively feed the medicine M from the storage 141 according to the control by the control unit (not shown). Examples of the storage 141 for tablets include a storage cassette and a distribution cell in which a plurality of recesses are arranged in the form of a matrix. Further, examples of the storage 141 for powder include a cell unit including recesses having a V-shaped vertical cross section and a disk-shaped powder dispensing apparatus configured to scrape the powder according to the prescription data. However, the medicine feeder 14 is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments and can be implemented by various embodiments. The storage 141 can be constituted, for example, by a plurality of per-type storages configured to store the medicine M for each type or a plurality of per-dose storages configured to store the medicine M for each dose. In this case, the medicine feeder 14 can store the medicine M for each type or for each dose in a state that is suitable for feeding the medicine M. In the case of storing the medicine M for each type using the per-type storages, refilling with the medicine M can be facilitated. Further, in the case of storing the medicine M for each dose using the per-dose storages, the medicine M can be fed to the medicine introduction unit 15 as it is stored.

The medicine feeder 14 of this embodiment can handle medicine in various dosage forms. For example, tablets, capsules, and powders can be mentioned. Further, this embodiment is configured to handle only solid medicine, but it is also possible to handle medicine in liquid or gel form depending on the circumstances.

The medicine introduction unit 15 introduces the medicine M into each recess 31 that is formed in the packaging sheet 3 by the recess former 13. The medicine introduction unit 15 of this embodiment is configured as a hopper having an upwardly expanding shape as shown in the figure and is located below the medicine feeder 14. In the case of handling liquid medicine, the medicine introduction unit 15 is formed into a shape suitable for pouring. such as a nozzle shape.

The cover sheet holder 16 constitutes a part of the packaging material unwinding unit and holds the flat cover sheet 4. A resin sheet is used as the cover sheet 4 of this embodiment. The cover sheet 4 has an elongated strip shape and is held by the cover sheet holder 16 in the state of being wound into a rolled body 4 a, so as to be unwound. The cover sheet 4 has a width so as to be capable of covering the openings of the recesses 31 formed in the packaging sheet 3. The width of the cover sheet 4 of this embodiment is the same as the width of the packaging sheet 3. As the cover sheet 4, paper also can be used. The paper may be coated with resin.

The cover sheet feeder 17 constitutes a part of the packaging material transfer unit, and feeds the cover sheet 4 configured to close the openings of the recesses 31 to the packaging sheet 3 in which the recesses 31 have been formed and the medicine M has been put into the respective recesses 31. The cover sheet feeder 17 feeds the cover sheet 4 onto the upper surface of the packaging sheet 3. In this embodiment, the cover sheet feeder 17 feeds the cover sheet 4 from above the packaging sheet 3. The cover sheet feeder 17 may feed the cover sheet 4 from a lateral side of the packaging sheet 3 or may feed the cover sheet 4 from therebelow. The cover sheet feeder 17 feeds the cover sheet 4 unwound from the cover sheet holder 16 in the longitudinal direction. The feeding of the cover sheet 4 is performed by intermittently transferring the cover sheet 4 to the downstream side (the specific configuration is not shown) in the cover sheet feeder 17 (the same part as the packaging sheet feeder 12 in this embodiment). In this embodiment, a plurality of rollers 171 shown in FIG. 1 are not driven and only support the cover sheet 4. The tension applying unit 16X is provided in the cover sheet holder 16 in order to adjust the tension of the cover sheet 4 transferred by the cover sheet feeder 17. In this embodiment, the packaging sheet 3 and the cover sheet 4 are drawn by a common roller. The feeding is stopped when the cover sheet 4 is bonded to the packaging sheet 3 by the cover sheet bonding unit 18, which will be described below. Therefore, the feeding is intermittently performed so that the transfer operation of transferring the cover sheet 4 and the stop operation of stopping the feeding of the cover sheet 4 are alternately carried out. This intermittent feeding of the cover sheet 4 is synchronized with the feeding of the packaging sheet 3. As a device for feeding the cover sheet 4, a device configured to sandwich and draw the cover sheet 4, for example, can be employed, and various devices such as arms and rubber plates can be employed.

The cover sheet bonding unit 18 bonds the cover sheet 4 fed by the cover sheet feeder 17 to the packaging sheet 3 in the state where the openings of the recesses 31 are covered to be closed by the cover sheet 4. The cover sheet bonding unit 18 includes a hot plate 181 and a receiving part 182. The hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 are opposed to each other while the conveyed cover sheet 4 and the portion of the packaging sheet 3 where the recesses 31 are not formed are interposed therebetween, and their opposed surfaces are flat. The hot plate 181 is located above the cover sheet 4, and the receiving part 182 is located therebelow. A heater is incorporated in the hot plate 181. The receiving part 182 is made of resin and is made of rubber in this embodiment. The receiving part 182 may serve as another hot plate in which a heater is incorporated. The hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 are configured to be capable of moving close to and away from the cover sheet 4 and the packaging sheet 3 by being driven by an electric motor. The driving source to drive the hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 is not limited to the electric motor. The driving source of the hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 may be any device that can cause the hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 to move close to and away from the cover sheet 4 and the packaging sheet 3. The driving source of the hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 may be, for example, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. Though not shown, a recessed portion into which the recess 31 is fitted is formed in the receiving part 182, so as to prevent the receiving part 182 and the recesses 31 from interfering with each other. In this embodiment, a circular hole passes through the center of the receiving part 182 as the recessed portion, so that the receiving part 182 does not interfere with the recess 31 when the receiving part 182 moves upward. The hot plate 181 and the receiving part 182 sandwich the cover sheet 4 and the packaging sheet 3 while the hot plate 181 is heated, thereby bonding (heat sealing) the cover sheet 4 to the packaging sheet 3, so that the medicine packages P are formed. This bonding prevents the medicine M put into the recesses 31 from leaking from the recesses 31. The cover sheet bonding unit 18 can perform the bonding between the cover sheet 4 and the packaging sheet 3 while an adhesive is interposed between the cover sheet 4 and the packaging sheet 3.

While the cover sheet 4 is bonded to the packaging sheet 3, the cutter 19 cuts the two sheets 3 and 4 together for each dose or multiple doses. The cutter 19 of this embodiment includes cutting blades 191 that are located above and below the packaging sheet 3 and are movable so that their blade tips overlap each other. The medicine packages P are thus cut into a separate unit that is easy for patients to take. Therefore, the medicine packages P in the unit of each dose or multiple doses can be obtained.

It is also possible to form perforations through the packaging sheet 3 and the cover sheet 4 by changing the shape of the cutting blades 191. Such formation of perforations enables patients to appropriately cut the medicine packages P according to the convenience of patients, and therefore the patient usability is improved when taking a medicine or storing the medicine packages P. Other than such perforations, it is also possible to form a fragile portion with reduced rigidity or reduced sheet thickness as compared to other portions, so as to help patients cut the medicine packages P.

The printer 20 prints information corresponding to the prescription data on the cover sheet 4. The printer 20 can perform printing as a series of steps and thus can facilitate forming the medicine packages P into a state ready to be delivered to patients. Examples of print contents include the patient name, the date and/or the day of the week for dosing, and the timing of dosing (such as after meals, before meals, and between meals). In this embodiment, the printing is performed on the cover sheet 4 before being bonded to the packaging sheet 3. Therefore, the printer 20 is located above the conveyance line of the packaging sheet 3. It is also possible to perform the printing on the cover sheet 4 after being bonded to the packaging sheet 3. As a printing method, a thermal transfer method using an ink ribbon can be mentioned, but various methods such as an ink jet method can be employed.

Next, the packaging sheet holder 11 and the tension applying unit 11X will be described. Since the cover sheet holder 16 and the tension applying unit 16X have the same configurations, the packaging sheet holder 11 and the tension applying unit 11X will be described as representatives.

The packaging sheet holder 11 and the tension applying unit 11X are configured as shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 5. The packaging sheet holder 11 and the tension applying unit 11X are provided in a base part 111. The packaging sheet holder 11 includes a holding shaft 112 and a rotary drive unit 115. The tension applying unit 11X includes a dancer roller 114 as a pressing member, and an arm 116, whereas the tension applying unit 16X that applies tension to the cover sheet 4 includes a dancer roller 161, as shown in FIG. 1 (other components are not shown).

The holding shaft 112 is provided rotatably about a predetermined axis relative to the base part 111. The holding shaft 112 holds the rolled body 3 a. The predetermined axis coincides with the axis of the rolled body 3 a. The holding shaft 112 holds the rolled body 3 a so that the holding shaft 112 and the rolled body 3 a do not rotate relatively to each other and the rolled body 3 a does not fall off from the holding shaft 112. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4, a holding plate 1121 is detachably attached to the front side of the holding shaft 112, and the rolled body 3 a is held around the holding shaft 112 by being pressed by the holding plate 1121. As shown in FIG. 3, a driven gear 1122 is connected to the rear side of the holding shaft 112.

The arm 116 is pivotably provided. In this embodiment, the arm 116 is attached to the holding shaft 112. Therefore, the arm 116 is pivotable about the same axis as the axis of the holding shaft 112. The pivotable range of the arm 116 corresponds to the movable range of the dancer roller 114 within a curved elongated hole 117 passing through the base part 111. However, the arm 116 does not operate in conjunction with the rotation of the holding shaft 112 but is in a free condition, and is biased downwardly by the self-weight of the arm 116 and the dancer roller 114.

A fixed roll 113 is provided on the base part 111. The fixed roll 113 is rotatable relative to the base part 111. The rotation axis of the fixed roll 113 is parallel to the rotation axis of the holding shaft 112. As shown in FIG. 4, the fixed roll 113 supports the packaging sheet 3 unwound from the rolled body 3 a at a position before the dancer roller 114. With the fixed roll 113 provided, the dancer roller 114 can stably support the packaging sheet 3 regardless of the amount of the packaging sheet 3 wound around the rolled body 3 a.

The dancer roller 114 is provided movably between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, and presses the packaging sheet 3. In this embodiment, the dancer roller 114 is supported by the arm 116 from the rear side of the base 111 and is provided movably in an upper direction 114u and a lower direction 114d that are shown in FIG. 4, within the range of the curved elongated hole 117 passing through the base part 111. The limit position on the loose side is the lower end position of the curved elongated hole 117, and the limit position on the tension side is the upper end position of the curved elongated hole 117. The dancer roller 114 is rotatable, and the rotation axis is parallel to the rotation axis of the holding shaft 112. The dancer roller 114 is vertically movable and therefore presses the packaging sheet 3 from above by the self-weight of the dancer roller 114 and the arm 116. Accordingly, tension can be applied to the packaging sheet 3 with a simple configuration. The dancer roller 114 may be configured to press the packaging sheet 3 by a spring bias.

As shown in FIG. 3, a lower end sensor 118 a, an origin sensor 118 b as an origin detector, and an upper end sensor 118 c are provided along the curved elongated hole 117 on the rear side of the base part 111. The lower end sensor 118 a, the origin sensor 118 b, and the upper end sensor 118 c are fixed to a mounting base, which is not shown. The lower end sensor 118 a is provided corresponding to the limit position on the loose side of the dancer roller 114. The upper end sensor 118 c is provided corresponding to the limit position on the tension side of the dancer roller 114. The origin sensor 118 b is provided at the original position. The original position is set within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends. In this embodiment, the initial position of the dancer roller 114 is set to the original position, and the original position is a reference position for unwinding the packaging sheet 3, which will be described below. The origin sensor 118 b detects whether or not the dancer roller 114 is located at the original position. The respective sensors 118 a to 118 c detect a dog 116a provided on the rear surface of the arm 116.

It is determined from the detection by the lower end sensor 118 a that the packaging sheet 3 has been fully unwound from the rolled body 3 a and has been run out, or that the packaging sheet 3 has been cut (in such a case, the dancer roller 114 falls to the lower end (the limit position on the loose side) of the curved elongated hole 117 due to the self-weight). Further, it is determined from the detection by the upper end sensor 118 c that the packaging sheet 3 is abnormally drawn (the dancer roller 114 is pulled up to the upper end (the limit position on the tension side) of the curved elongated hole 117 due to the packaging sheet 3 being drawn).

The rotary drive unit 115 is a device that forcibly unwinds the packaging sheet 3 and drives the holding shaft 112 to rotate about the predetermined axis. The rotary drive unit 115 includes a motor 1151 and a driving force transmitting unit configured to transmit the driving force of the motor 1151 to the holding shaft 112. In this embodiment, the driving force transmitting unit is a transmission gear 1152 that transmits the driving force between the gear of the motor 1151 and the driven gear 1122 of the holding shaft 112. The driving force transmitting unit may be a belt. In this case, a drive pulley is fixed to the output shaft of the motor 1151, a driven pulley is fixed to the holding shaft 112, and the belt is hung over the drive pulley and the driven pulley. Providing such a device that forcibly unwinds the packaging sheet 3 allows the packaging sheet 3 to be reliably unwound to the downstream side without depending on the tension applied to the packaging sheet 3 by the tension applying unit 11X. Further, combining the holding shaft 112 and the rotary drive unit 115 allows the packaging sheet 3 to be forcibly unwound by a simple configuration.

The motor 1151 of this embodiment is excited during operation of the packaging material conveying unit 10, and acts as a brake (braking device) on the holding shaft 112 and the rolled body 3 a when the packaging sheet 3 is transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12. That is, the rotary drive unit 115 can limit the rotation of the holding shaft 112. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a configuration for limiting the unwinding of the packaging sheet 3. Accordingly, the configuration can be simplified.

When the packaging sheet 3 is unwound from the rolled body 3 a in order to return the dancer roller 114 to the original position, the motor 1151 rotates the holding shaft 112. With the rotation of the holding shaft 112, the packaging sheet 3 hung over the dancer roller 114 is loosened in the unwound amount due to the self-weight of the dancer roller 114 and the arm 116 applied to the dancer roller 114, and therefore the arm 116 pivots.

The conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging material transfer unit to intermittently transfer the packaging sheet 3. Further, the conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging sheet holder 11 serving as the packaging material unwinding unit, as follows.

When the packaging sheet 3 is being intermittently transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12, the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the packaging sheet holder 11 is made smaller than the amount of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12, by limiting the unwinding of the packaging sheet 3 by the rotary drive unit 115. Such limitation is made by the motor 1151 being excited to act as a brake. That is, the conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging sheet holder 11 so that the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the rotary drive unit 115 is smaller than the amount of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12. Accordingly, a difference occurs between the amount of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12 (relatively large) and the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the packaging sheet holder 11 (relatively small).

The difference causes the packaging sheet 3 to be drawn to the downstream side of the conveyance direction corresponding to the amount of the difference, and therefore the dancer roller 114 rises in the upper direction 114 u (toward the limit position on the tension side) shown in FIG. 4 within the curved elongated hole 117. Thereby, the dancer roller 114 is displaced from the original position that is the initial position. The origin sensor 118 b turns into a non-detection state.

When the intermittent transfer of the packaging sheet 3 by the packaging sheet feeder 12 is stopped, the motor 1151 of the rotary drive unit 115 is driven to unwind the packaging sheet 3 in the amount of the difference between the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the packaging sheet holder 11 and the amount of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12. Thereby, the amount of the difference is adjusted to 0. As a result, the amount of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12 and the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the packaging sheet holder 11 are made completely equal to each other at each time of the intermittent transfer, and therefore the tension applied to the packaging sheet 3 can be maintained constant. In this way, the dancer roller 114 moves to the limit position on the tension side relative to the original position, due to the difference occurring between the amount of the packaging sheet 3 transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12 (relatively large) and the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the packaging sheet holder 11 (relatively small). The dancer roller 114 located at the limit position on the tension side moves toward the limit position on the loose side, thereby eliminating the difference.

During the unwinding in the amount of the difference, the conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging sheet holder 11 so that the dancer roller 114 moves corresponding to the amount of the difference within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends, of the curved elongated hole 117. Specifically, the conveyance control unit 10X controls the unwinding of the packaging sheet 3 by the packaging sheet holder 11 based on the detection results by the origin sensor 118 b. The unwinding of the packaging sheet 3 is controlled so that the dancer roller 114 is returned to the original position based on the detection by the origin sensor 118 b.

When the packaging sheet 3 is being intermittently transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12, it is preferable that the amount of the packaging sheet 3 unwound by the packaging sheet holder 11 be adjusted to 0, that is, the unwinding of the packaging sheet 3 be stopped. The tension applied to the packaging sheet 3 can be maintained constant by performing the transfer of the packaging sheet 3 by the packaging sheet feeder 12 and the unwinding of the packaging sheet 3 by the packaging sheet holder 11 at separate times. In particular, when the packaging sheet 3 is being transferred by the packaging sheet feeder 12, the tension applied to the packaging sheet 3 can be maintained constant.

Next, the conveying operation of the packaging sheet 3 will be described based on FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, which are flowcharts. The flow shown in FIG. 6 concerns the overall operation of conveying the packaging sheet 3. First, the initial operation is started (step S1). Next, whether or not the number of packages that have been actually packaged has reached the number of packages designated in advance is determined (step S2). If the designated number is reached, the conveying operation is finished. If the number is not reached, whether or not all specific operations before packaging the medicine M have been finished is determined (step S3). Specifically, the specific operations are the operations of the respective parts including the recess former 13, the cover sheet bonding unit 18, and the cutter 19. The specific operations include the return operation of the packaging sheet feeder 12 and the unwinding operation of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging sheet holder 11 and the cover sheet holder 16. If the specific operations have not been finished, step S3 is repeated. If the specific operations have been finished, the transfer operation of the packaging sheet 3 by the packaging sheet feeder 12 serving as the packaging material transfer unit is started (step S4). At this time, the unwinding of the packaging sheet 3 by the rotary drive unit 115 is limited. Next, whether or not the transfer operation has been completely finished is determined (step S5). If the transfer operation has not been finished, step S5 is repeated. If the transfer operation has been finished, the return operation of the packaging sheet feeder 12 serving as the packaging material transfer unit (the preparation operation for the next intermittent transfer) is started (step S6). Next, the unwinding operation by the packaging sheet holder 11 serving as the packaging material unwinding unit is started (step S7). Thereafter, the process returns to step S2.

FIG. 7 shows the flow on the initial operation (step S1) shown in FIG. 6. First, whether or not the dancer roller 114 is located at the limit position on the loose side is determined (step S11). If the dancer roller 114 is located at the limit position on the loose side, the motor 1151 of the rotary drive unit 115 is driven to start pulling back the dancer roller 114 (where the dancer roller 114 is moved upwardly) (step S12). Next, whether or not the dancer roller 114 is located at the original position is determined (step S13). If the dancer roller 114 is not located at the original position, step S13 is repeated. If the dancer roller 114 is located at the original position, the pulling back is finished (step S14). This is the end of the initial operation.

If the dancer roller 114 is not located at the limit position on the loose side in step S11, the motor 1151 of the rotary drive unit 115 is driven to unwind the packaging sheet 3 from the rolled body 3 a (step S15). Next, whether or not the dancer roller 114 is located at the limit position on the loose side is determined (step S16). If the dancer roller 114 is not located at the limit position on the loose side, step S16 is repeated. If the dancer roller 114 is located at the limit position on the loose side, the unwinding is finished (step S17), and the process transfers to step S12.

As aforementioned, in the initial operation, the dancer roller 114 is moved to the original position after being once located at the limit position on the loose side. Therefore, the dancer roller 114 can be reliably arranged at the original position wherever the initial position of the dancer roller 114 is.

FIG. 8 shows the flow on the unwinding operation (step S7) shown in FIG. 6. First, the motor 1151 of the rotary drive unit 115 is driven to unwind the packaging sheet 3 from the rolled body 3 a (step S71). Next, whether or not the dancer roller 114 is located at the original position is determined (step S72). If the dancer roller 114 is not located at the original position, step S72 is repeated. If the dancer roller 114 is located at the original position (that is, if the dancer roller 114 is returned to the original position), the unwinding is finished (step S73). This is the end of the unwinding operation.

According to the medicine packaging apparatus 1 of this embodiment configured as above, the feeding of the packaging sheet, the formation of the plurality of recesses, and the introduction of the medicine M can be automatically performed. Therefore, blister packaging can be easily performed.

In particular, according to the medicine packaging apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a difference is once generated between the amount of the packaging material (the packaging sheet 3 and the cover sheet 4 in this embodiment) transferred by the packaging material transfer unit (the packaging sheet feeder 12 and the cover sheet feeder 17 in this embodiment) and the amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit (the packaging sheet holder 11 and the cover sheet holder 16 in this embodiment), and the amount of the difference is thereafter adjusted to 0, thereby allowing the amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit and the amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit to be completely equal to each other at each time of the intermittent transfer, so that the tension applied to the packaging material can be maintained constant.

Finally, the configuration and action of the aforementioned embodiment (including the modifications) will be summarized. The medicine packaging apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a packaging material conveying unit 10 configured to convey elongated sheet-like packaging materials 3 and 4, the medicine packaging apparatus 1 being configured to package medicine M with the packaging materials 3 and 4 that are being conveyed by the packaging material conveying unit 10, wherein the packaging material conveying unit 10 includes: a packaging material unwinding unit configured to unwind the packaging materials 3 and 4; a packaging material transfer unit configured to transfer the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit to the downstream side of the conveyance direction; a tension applying unit located on the upstream side of the packaging material transfer unit in the conveyance direction of the packaging materials 3 and 4 and configured to apply tension to the packaging materials 3 and 4; and a conveyance control unit 10X configured to control at least the packaging material unwinding unit, the conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging material transfer unit to intermittently transfer the packaging materials 3 and 4, and controls at least the packaging material unwinding unit, so that when the packaging materials 3 and 4 are being intermittently transferred by the packaging material transfer unit, an amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit is made smaller than an amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit by limiting the unwinding of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging material unwinding unit, and when the intermittent transfer of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging material transfer unit is stopped, the unwinding is carried out in an amount of a difference between the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit and the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 transferred by the packaging material transfer unit.

According to the example of the configuration, the elongated sheet-like packaging materials 3 and 4 are conveyed by the packaging material conveying unit 10. Then, the medicine M is packaged with the packaging materials 3 and 4 that are being conveyed by the packaging material conveying unit 10. The packaging materials 3 and 4 are unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit. The packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit are transferred to the downstream side of the conveyance direction by the packaging material transfer unit. The tension applying unit is located on the upstream side of the packaging material transfer unit in the conveyance direction of the packaging materials 3 and 4. The tension applying unit applies tension to the packaging materials 3 and 4. At least the packaging material unwinding unit is controlled by the conveyance control unit 10X. The conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging material transfer unit to intermittently transfer the packaging materials 3 and 4. When the packaging materials 3 and 4 are being intermittently transferred by the packaging material transfer unit, the conveyance control unit 10X makes the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit smaller than the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 transferred by the packaging material transfer unit, by limiting the unwinding of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging material unwinding unit. Meanwhile, when the intermittent transfer of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging material transfer unit is stopped, the conveyance control unit 10X performs the unwinding in the amount of the difference between the amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit and the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 transferred by the packaging material transfer unit. In this way, a difference is once generated between the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 transferred by the packaging material transfer unit and the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit, and the amount of the difference is thereafter adjusted to 0, thereby allowing the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 transferred by the packaging material transfer unit and the amount of the packaging materials 3 and 4 unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit to be completely equal to each other at each time of the intermittent transfer, so that the tension applied to the packaging materials 3 and 4 can be maintained constant.

Further, the configuration can be such that the tension applying unit includes a pressing member provided movably between a limit position on a loose side and a limit position on a tension side and configured to press the packaging materials 3 and 4 and the conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging material unwinding unit so that the pressing member moves corresponding to the amount of the difference within a range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends.

According to the example of the configuration, the tension applying unit includes the pressing member. The pressing member is provided movably between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, and is configured to press the packaging materials 3 and 4. The conveyance control unit 10X controls the packaging material unwinding unit so that the pressing member moves corresponding to the amount of the difference within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends. Accordingly, the tension applied to the packaging materials 3 and 4 can be maintained constant.

The medicine packaging apparatus 1 further includes an origin detector 118 b configured to detect whether or not the pressing member is located at the original position. The configuration can be also such that the original position is set within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends. Further, the configuration can be such that the conveyance control unit 10X controls the unwinding of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging material unwinding unit based on the detection results by the origin detector 118 b.

According to the example of the configuration, the medicine packaging apparatus 1 further includes the origin detector 118 b configured to detect whether or not the pressing member is located at the original position. The original position of the pressing member is set within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends. The conveyance control unit 10X controls the unwinding of the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the packaging material unwinding unit based on the detection results by the origin detector 118 b. Therefore, the amount of the difference can be adjusted to 0 by moving the pressing member to a position with reference to the original position within the aforementioned range with a simple configuration.

Further, the configuration can be such that the pressing member is vertically movable and presses the packaging materials 3 and 4 from above by its self-weight.

According to the example of the configuration, the pressing member is vertically movable and presses the packaging materials 3 and 4 from above by its self-weight. Accordingly, tension can be applied to the packaging materials 3 and 4 with a simple configuration.

Further, the configuration can be such that the packaging material unwinding unit includes a device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging materials 3 and 4.

According to the example of the configuration, the packaging material unwinding unit includes a device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging materials 3 and 4. Accordingly, the packaging material can be reliably unwound without depending on the tension applied to the packaging materials 3 and 4 by the tension applying unit.

Further, the configuration can be such that the packaging material unwinding unit includes: a holding shaft provided rotatably about a predetermined axis and configured to hold a rolled body formed by winding the packaging materials 3 and 4, with the predetermined axis and an axis of the rolled body being in coincidence with each other; and a rotary drive unit configured to drive the holding shaft to rotate about the predetermined axis, as the device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging materials 3 and 4.

According to the example of the configuration, the packaging material unwinding unit includes the holding shaft and the rotary drive unit. The holding shaft is provided rotatably about the predetermined axis. The holding shaft holds the rolled body formed by winding the packaging materials 3 and 4, with the predetermined axis and the axis of the rolled body being in coincidence with each other. The rotary drive unit drives the holding shaft to rotate about the predetermined axis, as the device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging materials 3 and 4. Accordingly, the packaging materials can be forcibly unwound with a simple configuration.

Further, the configuration can be such that the rotary drive unit is capable of limiting the rotation of the holding shaft.

According to the example of the configuration, the rotary drive unit is capable of limiting the rotation of the holding shaft. Therefore, the unwinding of the packaging materials 3 and 4 can be limited by the rotary drive unit. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a configuration for limiting the unwinding of the packaging materials 3 and 4. Accordingly, the configuration can be simplified.

According to the example of the configuration of this embodiment, the tension applied to the packaging materials 3 and 4 can be maintained constant.

Hereinbefore, an embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment, the tension is maintained constant by unwinding the packaging sheet 3 (the cover sheet 4) serving as the packaging material so that the dancer roller 114 (161) serving as the pressing member is located at the original position, but it is also possible to omit the pressing member by separately providing another device that serves as the reference for unwinding the packaging material.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   1: Medicine packaging apparatus -   10: Packaging material conveying unit -   10X: Conveyance control unit -   11: Packaging material unwinding unit, Packaging sheet holder -   11X: Tension applying unit -   112: Holding shaft -   114: Pressing member, Dancer roller -   115: Device configured to forcibly unwind packaging material, Rotary     drive unit -   118 b: Origin detector -   12: Packaging material transfer unit, Packaging sheet feeder -   13: Recess former -   14: Medicine feeder -   15: Medicine introduction unit -   16: Packaging material unwinding unit, Cover sheet holder -   16X: Tension applying unit -   161: Pressing member, Dancer roller -   17: Packaging material transfer unit, Cover sheet feeder -   18: Cover sheet bonding unit -   19: Cutter -   20: Printer -   3: Packaging material, Packaging sheet -   3 a: Rolled body -   31: Recess -   4: Packaging material, Cover sheet -   4 a: Rolled body -   M: Medicine 

1. A medicine packaging apparatus comprising: a packaging material conveying unit configured to convey an elongated sheet-like packaging material, the medicine packaging apparatus being configured to package medicine with the packaging material that is being conveyed by the packaging material conveying unit, wherein the packaging material conveying unit comprises: a packaging material unwinding unit configured to unwind the packaging material; a packaging material transfer unit configured to transfer the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit to a downstream side of a conveyance direction; a tension applying unit located on an upstream side of the packaging material transfer unit in the conveyance direction of the packaging material and configured to apply tension to the packaging material; and a conveyance control unit configured to control at least the packaging material unwinding unit, and wherein the conveyance control unit controls the packaging material transfer unit to intermittently transfer the packaging material, and controls at least the packaging material unwinding unit, so that when the packaging material is being intermittently transferred by the packaging material transfer unit, an amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit is made smaller than an amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit by limiting the unwinding of the packaging material by the packaging material unwinding unit, and when the intermittent transfer of the packaging material by the packaging material transfer unit is stopped, the unwinding is performed in an amount of a difference between the amount of the packaging material unwound by the packaging material unwinding unit and the amount of the packaging material transferred by the packaging material transfer unit.
 2. The medicine packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tension applying unit includes a pressing member provided movably between a limit position on a loose side and a limit position on a tension side and configured to press the packaging material, and the conveyance control unit controls the packaging material unwinding unit so that the pressing member moves corresponding to the amount of the difference within a range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends.
 3. The medicine packaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: an origin detector configured to detect whether or not the pressing member is located at an original position, wherein the original position is set within the range between the limit position on the loose side and the limit position on the tension side, excluding both ends, and the conveyance control unit controls the unwinding of the packaging material by the packaging material unwinding unit, based on detection results by the origin detector.
 4. The medicine packaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is vertically movable and presses the packaging material from above by its self-weight.
 5. The medicine packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packaging material unwinding unit comprises a device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging material.
 6. The medicine packaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the packaging material unwinding unit comprises: a holding shaft provided rotatably about a predetermined axis and configured to hold a rolled body formed by winding the packaging material, with the predetermined axis and an axis of the rolled body being in coincidence with each other; and a rotary drive unit configured to drive the holding shaft to rotate about the predetermined axis, as the device configured to forcibly unwind the packaging material.
 7. The medicine packaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the rotary drive unit is capable of limiting the rotation of the holding shaft. 